


Duststorm

by SailorChibi



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU of Sandboy episode, AU of season 2 episode 20, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Hugs, Identity Reveal, Ladybug Reveal, Ladybug chooses to reveal her identity, Nightmares, Protective Adrien Agreste, Protective Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Reveal, Sandboy gives nightmares, Self-Esteem Issues, adrien agreste has self-esteem issues, and that scene is short, but no actual characters remain dead, character death in a nightmare, contains next to no spoilers since the episode isn't out yet, so much hugging, that's the extent of my knowledge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-07-15 09:23:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16060199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorChibi/pseuds/SailorChibi
Summary: Sandboy shows Ladybug one of her worst nightmares. It affects Ladybug far more than she would've expected, and Chat Noir is doing no better.





	Duststorm

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure what kind of nightmares the show will have, but this is what my brain came up with.

Sparkling blue dust rained down on the streets of Paris. Ladybug stopped short, heart pounding, and darted under a nearby awning. There was no tell-tale burst of blue light in front of her eyes, but she still ran her hands over her red suit. She couldn’t relax until she was certain that none of the dust had touched her. In the distance, she heard Sandboy laughing.

“You twisted little…” she muttered, raising her eyes. High overhead, she could just make out the sight of the akuma gliding over rooftops. There was no sign of Chat Noir. Last she’d seen him, he’d been in the midst of a nightmare. Much as she hated to leave him alone, stopping the akuma was more important.

But she just couldn’t get close. Everytime she tried, Sandboy threw some of that goddamned dust in her face. It was getting harder to sort through what was reality and what was just a nightmare: she’d already lived through – dreamt through? – Adrien dumping her and then making out with Chloe, Gabriel Agreste shaming her designs before all of Paris, and coming home to find her parents akumatized. She _really_ didn’t want to know what else Sandboy’s dust would bring forth.

The dust had fallen, coating the streets. It only seemed to be effective if it hit someone’s face. Ladybug took a cautious step forward, reaching for her yoyo and throwing it. She sailed back up to the rooftops and landed, looking around. Two seconds later, Chat Noir landed beside her. His hair and suit were grimy; he’d been rolling around in the street last she’d seen him, trapped in his head.

“Are you okay?” Ladybug asked him.

“I’m fine,” Chat Noir answered shortly, none of his usual warmth or humor. This akuma was really getting to him. To both of them, Ladybug amended, forcing herself to push aside the surge of concern. There would be time for that later, when Sandboy wasn’t running wild.

“We need a plan. We need to trap him somewhere. I think his akuma is in the pillow,” Ladybug said. She really hated akumas that could fly. 

Chat Noir thought for a moment. “If we could get him close to a billboard, I could use Cataclysm to knock it over. That would throw him off balance and give you the chance to use your yoyo to get the pillow away from him.”

“It’s as good a plan as any,” Ladybug said wearily. “Let’s go.”

She took off, knowing that he would follow and match her pace. It wasn’t hard to find Sandboy. The akuma jeered at them when he saw them, laughing mockingly, and waved his bag of dust in their direction. Ladybug couldn’t stop the instinctive flinch. Sandboy laughed louder and sped up, forcing them to move faster too. But he was flying in the direction of the billboard, so she figured it wasn’t too bad –

Too late, she realized they were running into the wind.

The burst of blue dust hit Chat Noir first, because he’d pulled out in front of her. Thank god he hadn’t been in the middle of jumping because he jerked to an immediate stop, body spasming like he was having a seizure, and then collapsed on the spot. 

“Chat!” Ladybug screamed, racing over to him. 

Chat Noir stared up at her, but it was like he was looking through her. His eyes were distant, face painted with fear and confusion. “M’lady,” he said.

“Yes, Chat, I’m here. I’m right here.” She fell to her knees, touching his face. Could he see her after all? Maybe Sandboy’s power was weakening somehow…

“No,” Chat Noir whispered. He let out a thin, kitten-like whine of despair that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She’d never heard him make that sound before.

“ _Mon chaton_ , please, I’m here. I’m here,” Ladybug cried.

“Please, don’t say these things. I’m trying to be good enough for you,” Chat Noir begged. His tail lashed the air. He whined again. “I know – I know I’m not – but… please don’t say I’m worthless.”

Ladybug stared down at him, speechless. Her heart _ached_. Chat Noir’s nightmare was that she thought he was worthless? Nothing could be further from the truth. She needed him. She couldn’t do this without him. She thought he knew that. How could he not know that?

Sandboy laughed overhead and, without thinking, Ladybug looked up just in time to get a faceful of blue dust.

The world went blue. 

_”Marinette!”_

_“Papa!” Ladybug called back, before realizing that she was still Ladybug. Why was he calling her Marinette when she was transformed? Had he found out? She turned, the question on her lips, and ended up screaming._

_The bodies of her family and friends and classmates littered the ground behind her. Her mother and father, Alya, Nino, Adrien, Rose, Juleka, Nathanael, even Chloé – they were all dead. Ladybug’s eyes widened in horror. She clapped her hands over her mouth to stop herself from screaming more, but the pressure built in her chest regardless. She wanted to scream until she couldn’t scream anymore._

_“No.” The soft whimper slipped out before she could stop it._

_“This is your fault.”_

_Ladybug whipped around and cried out when she saw her partner. Chat Noir lay on the ground before her. There was a literal hole in his chest. Blood was pouring out of it, soaking his leather suit. Even his face was smeared. He had to be in agony, but with a thin, rattling breath he opened his cat-like green eyes to stare directly at her. The accusation in those eyes hit Ladybug like a shot to the heart._

_“W-what?” she stuttered._

_“It’s your fault. We could’ve worked together to protect them if I’d known who you were. You could’ve called me. I wouldn’t have been too late to save them.” Tears welled up in Chat Noir’s eyes, sliding silently beneath the edge of his mask. “I wouldn’t have died.”_

_“Please, no,” she whispered._

_“Why, Marinette? Why didn’t you trust me?” he asked. “All I wanted was to protect you. Instead, you made me walk right into a trap.”_

_“I do trust you!” she sobbed, falling to her knees. “I was trying to protect you!” She had reasons for keeping their identities secret. Ladybug knew that. But as she knelt there, watching Chat Noir’s blood soaking into her knees, she couldn’t remember what they were._

_“No, you don’t,” Chat Noir said simply. “I gave my life to you.” He inhaled, and a horrible rattling sound filled the air. His eyes fluttered shut._

_“No! Don’t leave me,” Ladybug cried, putting her hands over his chest. His blood was warm, and there was just so much of it. “I do trust you. Please, Chat.” She put her face down close to his so that she could see if he was still breathing. Her tears fell on his face, and his eyes opened a slit._

_“This is your fault,” he whispered for the third time, voice growing softer. Fading away. “You didn’t trust me. You didn’t trust anyone, and we all died because of it.”_

_“Chat!” Ladybug screamed when his eyes fell shut again. “CHAT!”_

Someone was screaming. It took Ladybug much longer than it should’ve to realize that someone was her. Shaking, she lurched upright and vomited all over the roof. The images of her family and friends danced in front of her eyes. But worst of all by far was Chat Noir, and the accusing look in his eyes. His words replayed over and over, and she buried her face in her hands with a sob.

She wanted to sit there and cry, but she could hear Sandboy wreaking havoc. Still trembling, Ladybug forced herself to get up. Chat Noir was lying beside her, now silent and still. Too still. Her breathed hitched with panic, even though she could see his chest rising and falling. She dragged her eyes away and focused on Sandboy. They had to end this now – another nightmare like _that_ would end Ladybug completely.

“Lucky Charm!” she yelled, throwing her yoyo in the air. A plastic gun that could shoot bean bags fell into her hands. For once, she knew exactly what to do with it.

Pulling the gun up, Ladybug took aim. Sandboy didn’t even notice her. She waited until he’d turned away and then applied pressure to the trigger. Her aim proved to be true: with a loud pop, the bean bag was ejected from gun and smacked straight into the pillow that Sandboy was on. The akuma let out a high-pitched shriek as it fell to the roof several feet below, which was enough to jerk Chat Noir awake. Ladybug didn’t let herself look at him, knowing she’d fall to pieces if she did. She ran forward and jumped, throwing out her yoyo and catching the pillow. With a flick of her wrist, she reeled it in.

The fabric tore easily, releasing the butterfly. Ladybug swung her yoyo rapidly and then released it, easily catching the akuma. Her throat hurt from the effort of holding back tears as she murmured, “Bye bye, petit papillon.”

Behind her, she heard Chat Noir tending to the victim. She kept her gaze on the white butterfly until it had blended into the sky, and she couldn’t see it anymore. There was the sound of a door opening and closing and then Chat Noir’s feet, padding across the rooftop until he was standing right behind her.

“Ladybug –”

“Is that really what you think?” she interrupted him. Her tears spilled over as she spun around. “You think I think you’re _worthless_?”

Chat Noir blinked several times, looking discomfitted. “I – well – that is – you’re crying,” he stammered.

“You’re so _stupid_.” To hell with holding herself back. Ladybug dove for him. He wasn’t expecting that, and the force of her hug knocked him off his feet. He fell back with a startled yelp, landing on his back. Ladybug went with him, landing on top of him and wrapping her arms around his neck and crying into his shoulder. 

“Lady – what, hey,” Chat Noir said, sounding at once confused and concerned. “What happened?”

“I saw you die,” she wept into his shoulder. “You told me it was my fault, because I didn’t trust you. I do trust you, Chat. I trust you more than anyone else. I can’t do this without you. I would’ve given up, or lost, a long time ago if I didn’t have you to lean on. _Please don’t leave me_.”

“Leave you?” Chat Noir repeated. “Oh, M’lady, I’ll never leave you. I’m yours.” He wrapped his arms around her in return, hugging her so tight it hurt. Ladybug didn’t care. It was exactly what she needed right now.

The beeping of her Miraculous interrupted what would’ve been an otherwise perfect moment. She felt the way he tensed and his grip loosened, as though in preparation for her to leave. Which made sense, because Ladybug was the one who insisted on their identities remaining secret. Chat Noir didn’t agree, but he’d bowed to her desires on this one a long time ago. He didn’t want to know, he’d told her, until she was ready for it.

This time though, Ladybug didn’t pull away. Her nightmare was still spinning around in her head. It was dangerous for her and Chat Noir to know each other’s identities because, if one of them were compromised, then they both would be. That was still a concern. But she couldn’t bring herself to care. She’d always known that it was inevitable they would find out at some point.

“Bugaboo?” Chat Noir said uncertainly. “You need to go.”

“No,” Ladybug said. Her voice was raw from crying. Tears were still running down her face when she lifted herself off of him, still holding tightly to one of his hands. Chat Noir sat up, eyes wide.

“Are you…” He trailed off, making a choked sound as her transformation released in a rush of pink energy, and quickly shut his eyes.

“Look at me, _mon minou_ ,” Marinette whispered, cupping his face. “I trust you.”

“You’re not thinking straight,” he said, keeping his eyes closed.

“Neither of us are,” she admitted. Her nightmare had left her rattled, and knowing what had comprised Chat Noir’s nightmare hadn’t improved things. She couldn’t bare the thought of keeping secrets between them now, knowing what it might lead to. If they were going to die doing this, she would rather die knowing that Chat Noir knew how much he meant to her and knowing that he could Marinette, not just Ladybug.

“Then I shouldn’t look.”

“Please,” Marinette begged, a sob making her voice break. 

He flinched, then slowly opened one eye. He froze. “Marinette?”

“You know me?” Marinette said, surprised. 

Chat Noir stared at her. “I – yes. I do.” His own transformation released, green light making Marinette squint. 

“A-Adrien?!” she stuttered, shocked. 

Adrien’s smile was small and tentative. “Hey.”

“You… I…” Marinette stared at him, speechless. The picture of Chat’s dead body, that awful hole in his chest, was suddenly replaced with Adrien. A rush of grief swelled through her, making it hard to breathe, and she burst into tears again.

“Marinette!” Adrien looked worried. “Don’t – don’t cry. Is it because it’s me?” The fear in his voice had her shaking her head immediately. 

“No. No, no!” she breathed, trying to wipe the tears away. But they just kept coming. “I’m happy it’s you – but it means I could’ve lost you both – I could’ve l-lost… my crush and my _chaton_ … and not even have known…” She clasped her hands over her face.

“Hey, that didn’t happen.” Warm arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a hug. “That won’t happen, okay? It was just a nightmare.”

“I’ll never get those images out of my head,” Marinette whispered.

His arms tightened. “I know. I’ll never forget Ladybug telling me that she doesn’t need me.”

God. Marinette pulled back and cupped his face again. His green eyes were wet with tears. “That’s not true. I need Chat Noir to keep me going. You believe in me so much. It used to scare me, but now it makes me feel like I can’t give up. That I’ll always find a solution, just because you believe I will. I might be able to cleanse akumas, but I couldn’t do it without you.”

He leaned their foreheads together so that they were staring directly into each other’s eyes. “That’s Chat Noir. He and Ladybug are yin and yang, Plagg says. Anyone could –”

“No,” Marinette said again. “No one else would throw themselves in the way to protect me. No one else would be able to wield Cataclysm like that. No one else would understand what I mean with just a look. No one else would know how to make me smile.” She paused. “No one else could come up with so many godawful puns.”

This time, Adrien’s smile was more genuine. “You love my puns.”

“I do,” Marinette sighed. “But I’ll deny it if you bring it up ever again.”

He laughed a little. Marinette just stared at him, drinking in the sight of his bright eyes. They were so lively. So clear and happy and _alive_. Her guilt over what he'd seen still weighed heavily, but his smile was helping. 

“Marinette?” he said.

“What?”

“For the record, I couldn’t do this without you either. I’m happy you’re Ladybug. And I promise, I will never leave you.” His expression turned serious, with an underlying intensity she felt in her bones. “Not if I can help it. It’ll be you and me until the end.”

“I guess that makes us chopped liver.”

Marinette jumped and banged their heads together. She and Adrien yelped at the same time, both jerking back. Plagg cackled wildly. 

“Plagg! They were having a moment!” Tikki hissed.

“They can have their moment after I have cheese,” Plagg said.

Adrien sighed. “You and your cheese,” he muttered.

“Sorry. I tried to keep him quiet,” Tikki said apologetically.

“It’s okay, Tikki,” Marinette said. It really wasn’t. She didn’t want to leave Adrien. She wasn’t ready. She knew her sleep tonight would be filled with nightmares that replayed what Sandboy had shown her. 

“What does Tikki eat?” Adrien asked.

“Cookies, mainly.”

He glanced up at her. “I happen to have some cookies at my place. They’re delicious. They come from the best bakery in town.”

Marinette smiled, finally. “Oh yeah?”

He nodded seriously. “Plus a door that locks, and…” He turned faintly pink. “A king size bed. If you… If you wanted to stay the night. Not to – I don’t mean – I just thought –”

“ _Chaton_ , I would love to,” Marinette said, dizzy with relief. The nightmares would be awful, but if she could wake up and see her partner right beside her, that would go a long way towards helping. 

The look of relief on Adrien’s face suggested he felt the same way. “Good. Okay. Cool.” He stood, and then reached down a hand to help her stand as well.

Marinette let herself be pulled up and then into another embrace. They hugged tightly, and then she looked up at him. She couldn’t bring herself to even pretend to be surprised when Adrien lowered his head and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips.

“I love you, Marinette,” he whispered. “M’lady.”

“I love you too,” she choked out, teary-eyed again.

“Not again! I want my cheese!”

“Kwamis,” Adrien muttered with a shake of his head.

Marinette took his hand, intertwining their fingers. “Let’s go feed them,” she said. “Then we can hug as much as we want with no commentary.”

Adrien squeezed her hand. “I am very much in favor of that idea.”

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](http://tsuki-chibi.tumblr.com/).


End file.
